PHASE VI: FINDING YOUR NICHE
Fluttershy had noticed something fascinating about the human world's version of ponies she knew from around Ponyville and Cloudsdale.
She had first noticed it when she met Vice Principal Luna. She had honestly not recognized the woman as Luna at first; while Fluttershy herself and her friends mostly had skin and hair colors resembling their coats and manes as ponies (aside from Applejack's odd peach coloring), Luna had been unrecognizable with her pale blue skin and much lighter hair. After she'd met Luna, she'd begun paying attention, and found that the human versions of a number of ponies she knew had lighter, reversed, or just plain different coloration than their pony selves.
One afternoon, she'd discussed it with Rarity, who was the only other pony likely to be as attentive to it. Rarity had also noticed, and agreed that it was odd. It also made certain humans they'd known for years as ponies difficult to identify.
This was why when Thunderlane had first approached her and began chatting her up, she hadn't even realized it was him; he'd sported a skin tone similar to Applejack, but tended to wear dark gray clothes, and his dark gray hair, styled in a stiff flat top, was frosted silver-blue on top.
Not long after Fluttershy left Rarity's place, Thunderlane picked her up in his dark blue convertible. They'd gone for a little drive around town, during which he attempted to amaze her with stories of his achievements on the football field. She only half-listened; such things bored her, and she really hoped sports wasn't the only thing Thunderlane could think of to talk about.
They ate dinner at a place called Pizza Nut, where Fluttershy found herself far more interested in the food than in her date. After that, she'd been forced to sit through an incredibly stupid movie called Punchy Vs. Kongzilla, which was about a middle-aged, brain-damaged boxer fighting a giant fire-breathing half-dragon, half-ape monster.
After the movie, Thunderlane had wanted to go somewhere and, if she understood correctly, just sit in his car doing nothing. His company had already been boring enough that she politely but firmly insisted that she needed to be home at a certain time, that she had homework to do, and that she was tired. Thunderlane was visibly disappointed, but didn't press the issue, and drove her home.
It was shortly before ten in the evening when Fluttershy finally said goodnight to Thunderlane, ignoring his attempt to collect a goodnight kiss, then slowly climbed the stairs to her second-floor apartment. She fumbled for a minute with her keys; once the door was unlocked, she reached along the inside wall and groped around for the light switch.
The overhead lamps attached to the twin ceiling fans flared to life, flooding the empty apartment with light. Taking a moment to lock the door and toss her purse onto the living room sofa, she slipped off the cute yet uncomfortable shoes she'd worn that night. Holding them by the straps in one hand, she padded barefoot to her bedroom, where she carefully placed them on the shoe tree in the closet. She then stripped off her clothes, folding them into the hamper, which was rapidly filling up. She frowned; it would soon be time for her to learn where and how humans did laundry.
Rubbing her bare arms against the chill of the night, she walked briskly into the bathroom, where she gathered up a washcloth, shampoo, and body wash, then stepped into the shower and slid the frosted plexiglass shower door closed. It took a moment to get the water temperature from the faucet just right before she pulled up on the stem that would turn on the shower; she let out a faint yelp at that first blast of freezing water from the showerhead before the hot water diverted, pelting her body with welcome drops of soothing warmth.
Showering as a human had quickly become a guilty pleasure for Fluttershy. While before she had always been a clean and well-groomed pegasus, there had, certain spa visits notwithstanding, seldom been more to a bath than simple cleansing of the body. Now, however, it had become a thrilling experience. She enjoyed the feel of the water on her smooth skin, the slickness and slippery texture of wet bare skin as she lathered herself with fragrant body wash. There was also something enticing, almost naughty, about the feel of her body's graceful curves beneath her hands as she cleansed every inch. She took note of the reaction every part of her body had to the water, to the lather, to her own touch. It was a wonderful, powerful thing. She wondered if her friends had discovered how wonderful and pleasurable the simple act of showering was, but she couldn't bring herself to ask them; she felt that the level of satisfaction she derived from the act was somehow taboo, and most definitely something very private.
As she let the warm water course over her soapy body, carrying away the lather, sweat, and dirt, she examined her hands. The others frequently complained about these slender, spindly, wiggly appendages that had replaced the hooves they'd known all their lives. She, however, enjoyed them; they offered a range of movement and tactile sensation that were so alien to her, strange and yet inviting. Among her friends, she had thus far become the most adept at using her hands. Even Twilight Sparkle, the most brilliant pony she knew, was clumsy and awkward with her hands, even though she'd had prior experience with them, however brief. No...Twilight could still barely hold a pen, typed so slowly it was painful to watch, and complained incessantly about the loss of her magic. Meanwhile, Fluttershy had already developed beautiful, flowing handwriting, typed quickly and precisely, and could text almost as rapidly as Sunset Shimmer.
Alone among her friends, Fluttershy was far happier in this smooth-skinned, wingless, hoofless body than she had ever really been as a pegasus.
Turning off the water, she allowed herself to drip dry for a minute before stepping out onto the cold tile floor. She wrapped a large, thick terrycloth towel around herself, then leaned backwards over the tub and wrung her long hair out. She wrapped her hair up in a second towel, then padded out into the hall to turn on the heat. Quickly returning to the bathroom before she could drip all over the house, she methodically dried her body and hair as quickly and completely as she could. Hanging the towels to dry, she walked from the bathroom to her bedroom, where she stood naked for a moment, admiring her body in her full-length dressing mirror.
Yes...from her flat nose to her cute little toes, and everything in between, Fluttershy loved her human body so much more than her old pony body.
With a smile, she rounded up a pair of cotton panties and her warm pink flannel pajamas. It had been a long day, and she was ready to curl up in her warm, comfortable bed for a good night's sleep.
* * * * *
It was late in the evening, and all of her cute little friends were asleep in their cozy warm beds, but Fluttershy was wide awake. Seeing as her counterpart had quite a book collection, she decided to read until it was time for sleepies. "What's a fun book to read before bed, Angel Bunny?" she asked to the one animal friend who was still awake.
Angel gave an apathetic shrug and turned back to rearranging his bedding.
Fluttershy scanned the titles on the bookshelf. "Hmm..." She espied one book that was ever so slightly askew, and had a very shiny spot on the leather spine. "My goodness! It looks like the other me reads this book a lot...it must be an excellent book!" She reached for it, placing her hoof on top of the book to pull it down from the shelf.
Angel turned, saw her, and let out a panicked yelp...or would have, had he been capable. Instead, he opted for shooting straight up into the air, ears straight up and eyes wide in alarm.
The book tilted down...there was a click...
Fluttershy eeped as the bookcase swung open like a door, revealing a hidden stairwell. "Oh my goodness...what's this?" Swallowing nervously, she descended the metal staircase behind the secret door into a basement room she never would have imagined existed.
At the base of the steps, she stepped on a switch; she felt it click beneath her hoof. All around the room, lights flickered on.
Fluttershy gasped. "What...what in the world...?!"
That was when she became aware of the giant, enraged dragon, mere inches from her nose.
She screamed.
* * * * *
"So how was your date last night?" Twilight asked Fluttershy without preamble as the girls assembled at the gates before school.
Fluttershy frowned. "Boring," she said. "Thunderlane...well...he's a very nice boy, and all, but...he just doesn't have much of a personality."
Her friends blinked at this frank character assessment. "Ooookay," Rainbow Dash said. "Then again, he doesn't exactly have much of a personality back home either."
"That isn't a very nice thing to say about someone," Twilight admonished with a frown.
"You've never spent more than five minutes around Thunderlane," Rainbow Dash pointed out.
"So, you givin' up on this whole datin' thing?" Applejack asked.
"Oh, not at all," Fluttershy said. "Just because one date didn't go well, doesn't mean it'll always be like that. I'm hoping Flash's friend...um..." She struggled to recall the boy's name.
"Bobbi," Twilight supplied. "His name is Bobbi Gibson."
"Right," Fluttershy said. "I'm hoping he'll be more interesting than Thunderlane."
* * * * *
Applejack walked into the kitchen to see one of the strangest things she had seen since arriving in Equestria.
Big Macintosh wasn't wearing his yoke. Instead, he was wearing a sedate black suit jacket, a white dress shirt, and a dark green necktie. "What's with th' fancy duds, Big Mac?" Applejack asked. "Big date?"
Big Mac grimaced as he adjusted the knot on his tie. "Gotta go t' th' bank today," he said. "They're up an' playin' dirty with th' mortgage we had t' take out last year t' put up them new barns. Ah gotta go down there an' set that banker what's messin' with us straight."
"Ah'll go with ya," Applejack said.
"Nnnnope," Big Mac said. "No offense, AJ, but dealin' with th' bank requires a cool head, an' you're so much like mah AJ..."
The mare grimaced. "Ah can keep mah cool," she said. "Ah just wanna be useful as Ah can, an' that means Ah gotta know what's what 'round here."
Big Mac sighed. "Alright. Best go get gussied up, then. Makin' th' right impression goes a long way, an' Interest Rate's a real jackass."
* * * * *
At lunch, Twilight and her friends were grouped together as usual. Twilight was engrossed in the reading assignment for her Literature class. Suddenly, her friends' chatter trailed off, and a shadow fell upon the table.
"Twilight Sparkle," an obnoxious voice rang out, laced with an all-too-familiar arrogance. "Legend tells that you profess yourself to be the very Element of Magic, and the most powerful magical force the world has ever known!"
Twilight blinked, looking up. She groaned. "Seriously?"
"WELL?!" the blue-skinned girl looming over her demanded, slapping her palms on the table. "Is it true? Do you proclaim to be a mighty magician?"
"Well yeah but not right now," Twilight said. *Great. Juuuust great.*
Really, though, she told herself, she should have expected this. After all, she already knew this world had...
The girl flipped her platinum blue hair back with a haughty expression. "HA! Then you admit that you are a fraud? That you possess no special talents whatsoever? That indeed you cannot possibly compare to..."
"Here it comes," Rainbow Dash muttered in a bored tone.
"THE GREAT! AND POWERFUL! TRIXIE!!"
"Oh, shut up," Applejack said, yawning.
"The Great And Powerful Trixie will NOT shut up!" Trixie shouted. By now, the entire cafeteria had turned to watch the spectacle. "Twilight Sparkle! You WILL face Trixie in a battle of magical skill! And Trixie WILL prove that you are in fact less than nothing!"
"I thought they didn't even have magic here!" Fluttershy whispered, panic in her voice.
Sunset rolled her eyes. "It isn't real magic," she said. "Just silly tricks with rigged props and sleight-of-hand. And The-Great-And-Pants-Peeing-Dripsie here isn't even good at it."
Overhearing this, Trixie turned red with fury. "Trixie did NOT pee her pants!" she shrieked. "Trixie spilled her lemon soda! And Trixie IS a great magician! Trixie's feats of prestidigitation and illusion are far beyond your feeble comprehension!"
Twilight frowned. "Sunset," she whispered, "do you think I could learn to do these magic tricks?"
"In your sleep," Sunset replied with a smirk.
Twilight grinned and stood up. "Fine, Trixie. You're on. Two weeks from tomorrow."
Trixie sniffed indignantly, pointing her nose up. "You do not set the terms."
Twilight smirked. "Then my friends and I will buy up all the peanut butter crackers in the vending machine. Every. Last. One."
Trixie paled. "You...you wouldn't!"
"Try me," Twilight said.
Trixie trembled in rage. "Well...then...FINE! Two weeks from tomorrow! Then you will cower at the feet of the Great And Powerful Trixie!"
As Trixie walked off, the normal buzz of conversation returned to the cafeteria. Twilight's friends stared at her. "Uh, Twi?" Applejack asked. "Why're you lettin' yourself get goaded by that lunatic?"
Twilight shrugged. "If she's anything like the Trixie back home—"
"She totally is," Pinkie said.
"—then there's no way she'd give up until she goaded me into a fight. Best to get it over with."
"Ah guess that makes sense," Applejack said.
Rainbow snorted. "Puh-LEASE, Twi," she said. "You just wanna kick Trixie's butt again."
"No I don't!" Twilight said.
"Yeah you do."
Twilight paused. Then, cheeks slightly pink, she admitted, "Okay, yeah, I kinda do."
Sunset raised an eyebrow. "I'm sensing a history here..."
Twilight blew upward on her bangs and opened her mouth to explain...
"Back home Trixie's a weak silly useless prancing showpony unicorn who can only do cheap flashy showpony magic that isn't good for anything but she has like a really really huge ego so she showed up in Ponyville trying to impress everypony but we just thought she was a nut but she said she'd vanquished an Ursa Major so then these two dumb colts who were falling all over her went and woke up an Ursa Minor and brought it to Ponyville and everypony freaked out and Trixie was so scared she nearly wet herself and then Twilight put it to sleep and sent it back where it came from and then a couple years later Trixie showed up again to challenge Twilight to a magic duel only this time she had the Alicorn Amulet and she got really really REALLY NASTY and put everypony in Ponyville through hell and took away my mouth but Twilight tricked her into throwing away the Alicorn Amulet and then she turned over a new leaf and left town and nopony's seen her since," Pinkie said in a hyper rush.
Sunset blinked. "The Alicorn Amulet? Why didn't I think of that?!"
* * * * *
Interest Rate really WAS a jackass. Literally.
The well-groomed donkey sat behind a large, expensive desk with an electric lamp on the corner, a spotless ink blotter, trays for incoming and outgoing paperwork, and the fanciest abacus Applejack had ever seen—not that she'd seen many, seeing as the abacus was massively outdated technology in her world.
Interest Rate was going over a sheaf of paperwork, the tiny, gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose gleaming. "I'm sorry, Mr. Apple," he said. "As I've told you, with the current state of the lending market, the projected lack of growth to your business, and growing interest in imported apple futures..." He shook his head. "I'm afraid that the modified terms of your mortgage agreement stand. Now, if you'll excuse—"
"Now hold up there," Applejack said.
Interest Rate blinked at her, frowning.
"Now Ah ain't no math whiz, but Ah got horse sense t' spare, an' it seems t' me you're mighty quick t' overlook a few things."
"Oh?" the important donkey asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do tell."
"Applejack," Big Macintosh warned quietly.
"No, no, let her speak," Interest Rate said.
"First of all, that junk about 'imported apple futures' is a load o' cow patties," Applejack said. "Ah happen t' know for a fact that ain't nopony in Ponyville sellin' apples but Sweet Apple Acres. Ever'pony what sells apple goods, like th' jams an' jellies at Barnyard Bargains an' th' baked apple treats at Sugar Cube Corner? All them apples come right off our trees. An' you know why? It's because th' whole apple trade's run by th' Apple family, an' our cousins ain't gonna horn in on our turf, jus' like we ain't sellin' outside Ponyville unless we just hafta. Now, as t' growth? Ah'll give you that one, but that's only because our business grows with Ponyville itself, seein' as how all o' Ponyville buys our apples. We can't sell more apples than ponies can use. That's just plain sense. Now, th' stuff about 'state o' th' lendin' market'? Now that's just you bein' greedy. You're th' only bank in Ponyville. You ARE th' lendin' market. That means you're makin' your own rules about how much you charge ponyfolk t' do business with you." Applejack leaned across the desk. "An' I'll tell you what I know about you, Mr. Rate. You don't give a heap about apples, but you love carrots. Well, us farmers stick together. An' Sweet Apple Acres has been here as long as Ponyville. Heck, we made Ponyville. Without us, all th' other farms 'round these parts wouldn't be in business. Now, how good a deal do you think you'll get on those bulk carrot orders o'yers if Ah happen t' tell Golden Harvest how you're screwin' Sweet Apple Acres?"
Interest Rate turned pale, sweat showing through his sparse coat. Big Mac stared at Applejack, jaw agape in shock.
"So here's what Ah think. Ah think you're gonna drop that interest on th' mortgage t' about ten percent less than th' original agreement, an' reduce our monthly mortgage payment by...oh, let's call it a hundred bits." Applejack smiled coldly at the banker, eyes narrowed in triumph. "That sound about right, Mr. Rate?"
The donkey coughed. "Ahem. Yes. Well..." He shuffled a number of papers nervously. "It does seem I failed to factor in certain information in my decision...perhaps an amendment is in order..." He scratched furiously on a piece of parchment, made some calculations on his abacus, then wrote up a new mortgage agreement and stamped it. He slid it across the desk. "I believe this is a more satisfactory arrangement, is it not?"
Big Macintosh picked up the document, read it, and nodded. "Eeyup."
"Yes. Good. Very well. As always, your business is appreciated here at Ponyville Savings And Loan. Good day..."
As the Apples left the bank, Big Macintosh turned to Applejack. "Jes' one question. How?"
Applejack responded with a shit-eating grin. "Let's just say back home, Ah get top marks in Economics class..."
* * * * *
Applejack felt like a drooling idiot as the Economics teacher droned on about things she couldn't even begin to understand.
If math was bad, Economics was sheer torture. About the only thing in the textbook that even remotely made sense to her was the "law of supply and demand", although the way it was written was confusing and contrary to her own experience (which basically boiled down to "everypony demands we supply apples"). She didn't understand anything about credit, investments, diversification, inflation (maybe she should ask Pinkie Pie about that one), stock options, commodities (she was pretty sure that didn't involve outhouses), or any of the hundred-odd other things the book went on and on about.
"—and that is why you should never let the tax man into your home unless you're armed," the teacher said. The class chuckled.
*Ah'm in trouble.*
* * * * *
Twilight was studying her third book on magic this week while Spike reviewed the other Twilight's schedule. He frowned. "Hey, Twilight," he called. "You've got an appointment scheduled this afternoon." He grimaced. "Guess Twilight forgot all about it, or she'd have cancelled it."
"What kind of appointment?" Twilight asked.
"Cooter Rooter," Spike replied.
Twilight's eyes bugged out. Across the room, Rainbow Dash, who was taking a break and reading, spat out a mouthful of lemonade. "WHAT?!" the pegasus shouted, laughing wildly.
"He's the town marecologist," Spike said. "Every mare in Ponyville sees him twice a year. Just a regular routine checkup."
Rainbow Dash was still laughing. Twilight was beet-red. "Um. Yeah. Reschedule that. For about...oh...three years from now."
"You...really should see Dr. Rooter," Spike said. "Both of you, actually. You're gonna be ponies long enough that you'll need to deal with...stuff." He sighed. "How about if I move the appointment to next month? By then you'll have been a pony long enough to be less uncomfortable with it."
Twilight shuddered. "Okay, fine. Next month." She groaned. "Ugh. Gynecologist visits are embarrassing enough back home..."
"I'll bet you never left the clinic with new car smell down there," Rainbow Dash muttered.
Twilight fell over. "WHAT?!"
Rainbow's face turned an interesting shade of purple. "Nevermind!"
Any further discussion of the matter was mercifully aborted by a knock at the door. Twilight rolled her eyes and trotted over to open it. Shining Armor was standing on the other side; Twilight smiled brightly at him. "Shiny!" she said happily.
"Hey Twiley," Shining said. "Sorry I haven't been by more this week; stuff came up at home and I couldn't get away." He rolled his neck with a grimace. "Anyway, I brought somepony who wants to see you."
Shining stepped aside, and a mare walked in. She was noticeably older than Twilight, with a very light lavender-grey coat, a violet mane with white streaks styled almost exactly like Twilight's own, and pale blue eyes. Three purple stars graced her flank.
Twilight's eyes widened. "Pony or not, I know that hair anywhere," she said. She swallowed heavily; there was a lump forming in her throat. In a tiny, quavering voice, she asked, "Mommy?"
Twilight Velvet rushed forward and embraced her. "Night Light and I just got back from a vacation in Nippony," she said. "Shiny told me everything on the way here." She tilted her head back. "Is it true? You're really some alternate universe version of my little Sparkler?"
Twilight Sparkle laughed, happy tears in her eyes. "Yes, I am. Sorry, it's just...I haven't seen you—I mean, my Mommy—in almost a year."
Velvet raised an eyebrow. "Really? Why not?"
"She moved to the Franch Riviera to 'research' a book," Sparkle said, rolling her eyes.
Velvet ducked her head sheepishly. "That...sounds familiar," she said.
Spike suddenly bounced into view. "Hi Mama!" he said.
"Oh, Spike!" Velvet said, leaning down to nuzzle the little dragon. "I swear you've grown a whole hoof bigger since the last time I saw you!" Her saddlebag opened, and a tiny paper bag floated out. "I brought you something from Nippony," she said.
Spike opened the bag and looked inside, eyes wide. "Pink pearls?" he asked.
"I know they're not really gemstones," Velvet said, "but there was this oyster farm where you could harvest as many as you wanted, and I thought maybe you'd like some."
Spike took a pearl out of the bag, sniffed it, then nibbled it. His eyes lit up. "Mmm, that's not bad! Thanks, Mama!"
"Is Daddy with you?" Sparkle asked.
Velvet grimaced. "Night Light's laid up at home with a sore hip," she said.
"Oh no!" Sparkle gasped. "What happened?!"
Velvet rolled her eyes. "He went to a Sumoo exhibition, thought he'd try his hoof at Sumoo wrestling. They had a seminar on it, with a free practice lesson. He decided he'd try to wrestle the biggest, toughest Sumoo bull there. Banged up his hip."
Sparkle winced. "Ouch. Is he okay?"
Velvet chuckled. "He'll be fine. He didn't break anything, but he's staying home for a while." She noticed the pegasus sitting in the reading area, and waved. "Hello, Rainbow dear! Oh, I'm sorry—do you know me? I mean the other me?"
Rainbow shook her head. "Haven't met Twilight's parents," she said. "Actually only met Twilight not too long ago. Well, THIS Twilight. We all met YOUR Twilight the first time she came to our world."
Velvet blinked. "Really? That's strange...my little Sparkler moved to Ponyville three years ago, and the very first day she was here she met all her new friends."
"I only started at Canterlot High a few weeks ago," Sparkle said. "My new friends dogpiled me the second I walked in the doors. It took them a while to explain meeting Pony-Me, but we've all been best friends since then."
The door opened, and Apple Bloom walked in. "Hey Twilight," she called. "Ah'm just returnin' a book—oh, sorry, am Ah interruptin' somethin'?"
"Not at all, Apple Bloom," Twilight Sparkle said with a chuckle. "This is a library."
Apple Bloom noticed the older mare. "Ah know you! Yer Twilight's mom, right?"
Velvet nodded. "Yes, I believe we met at Shining Armor's wedding." She smiled. "How have you been?"
"Okay, I guess," Apple Bloom said. "Me an' my friends still ain't got our Cutie Marks though."
Velvet chuckled. "You will. Give it time."
"You can just put that in the book drop for now," Sparkle said.
"Got it," Apple Bloom said. She walked over to the check-in counter—
"Uh, Twilight?" Spike said. "We don't use the book drop..."
"Huh?" Sparkle asked. Unfortunately, Apple Bloom had already dropped the book into the slot on the counter at the back of the library. There was a terrifying rattle as the counter shuddered...and then the entire front flew off, nearly flattening Apple Bloom, who dropped to the floor with a cry of alarm.
Everypony looked at the wreckage of the counter, with the solitary book sitting unharmed in its midst.
"Aaaaand that's why," Spike said.
Twilight Sparkle's ears flattened. "That's...something you probably should've warned me about," she said.
Apple Bloom studied the destroyed counter. "Hmm." She knocked on each piece of the wood with a hoof. "Well, it ain't the wood. Ah reckon it's..." After a moment's rooting around in the debris, she nodded. "Eeyup, it's th' brackets. Y'all got a toolbox an' some spare shelvin' hardware?"
"It's in the basement," Spike said. "I'll go get it."
Apple Bloom frowned. "Miss Twilight's mom? Can you gimme a hoof with some magic? Just t' move th' heavy bits? Ah know Twilight's magic ain't up t' snuff yet..."
"Well, yes, of course," Velvet said, blinking.
"Apple Bloom, what are you up to?" Sparkle asked with some alarm. She'd been warned about the Cutie Mark Crusaders and their penchant for disaster.
"Ah broke it, so Ah'm gonna fix it," Apple Bloom said.
"Well, you didn't really...I mean, it wasn't your fault..."
Spike returned at that moment with the requested items. Apple Bloom motioned for him to set them down, then she began studying the pieces of the counter. After a few minutes, she began hammering new brackets into place at the base of the counter, then asking Velvet to levitate pieces of wood into place. The others watched, fascinated, as Apple Bloom quickly reconstructed the book return counter. Once she was done, she sanded down the top of it, then gave it a hard tap with a hoof. "Good as new," she said.
Sparkle blinked. "Wow. Um. Thanks," she said. "How did you—"
"Well, Ah gotta run," Apple Bloom said. "It was nice meetin' y'all again, ma'am!"
The others stared after the little filly.
"Is that...is that normal?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Ask me again when it explodes," Spike said. "Then it'll be normal."
* * * * *
"Here you go," Cheerilee said as she placed a stack of books in front of Twilight. "Everything we've got on prestidigitation." She tilted her head. "I hear you're challenging Trixie, is that true?"
Twilight nodded. "More like she's challenged me, but yes. I've got two weeks to learn as much of this stuff as I can."
"You might want to talk to the Disaster Girls, then," the librarian said. "At the last talent show, they decided to put on a magic act. At least they didn't set anything on fire this time, but it...didn't go so well. They might still have all their props."
It took Twilight a second to figure out who the 'Disaster Girls' were. "Thanks, I'll be sure to ask."
"Good luck!" Cheerilee called.
A short while later, Twilight had tracked down Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. "Girls," she began, "I was wondering if I could ask a favor."
"Well sure, Twilight," Apple Bloom said. "Whutcha need?"
"Miss Cheerilee said you girls tried to put on a magic show a while back. Do you still have your props?"
"Everything except the bunny and the doves," Scootaloo said. "You'll have to ask Fluttershy for those."
"Is this for your duel with Trixie?" Sweetie Belle asked. At Twilight's nod, the younger girl beamed. "Be sure to get my sister to make a stage outfit for you!"
"Yeah! A magician's costume is really important!" Apple Bloom said.
"And it's gotta have lots of hidden pockets and stuff for tricks," Scootaloo said.
Twilight quickly jotted all that down. "Thanks, girls."
"Sure thing," Apple Bloom said. "We'll get th' stuff together for you at my place. Just come on by whenever."
* * * * *
It was already afternoon by the time Applejack and Big Macintosh got back to the farm; they'd decided to have lunch in town. As they approached the homestead, they heard clanking, grinding, and grunting coming from the side of the building. Exchanging confused, worried glances, they trotted around to investigate.
Sparks flew from a grindstone being hoof-operated by Apple Bloom; Big Macintosh's oldest, most worn-out plow was rattling against the edge of the stone. Beside the grindstone, Apple Bloom, hammer in mouth, was working on a bad cart axle, hammering metal reinforcements into place around the worn out wood.
"Apple Bloom? Whut th' hay're you up to?" Applejack asked.
"Whut's it look like?" the filly grunted. "Ah'm workin'."
The older ponies blinked at one another.
"Ah think whut Applejack means is, why're you outta school, an' doin'...well...big-pony work?"
"We had a half-day today," Apple Bloom said. "Mah friends had plans, an' Ah got home an' y'all wasn't here, an' Ah was bored, an' Ah saw th' plow an' th' axle sittin' out by th' house, so Ah got t' workin' on 'em." She put down her hammer and examined her work on the axle. "That'll hold for maybe one season," she said. "Come harvest, we should really get a new cart."
"We can afford to now," Big Macintosh said. "An' maybe even a new plow, Applejack worked that banker over good." He shook his head as he looked over his little sister's work. "You done good, Apple Bloom," he said. "Ah gotta say, it's nice seein' you workin' on somethin' that ain't gonna blow up."
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. "Nothin' I make blows up on its own," she said. "It always has help. Usually from Sweetie Belle."
* * * * *
Bobbi Gibson was waiting for Fluttershy by the gates after school.
"We still on for tonight?" he asked.
"Yes, of course," she replied. "Um...where are we going, and what time do you need me ready by?"
"There's a Hëd Kräbb concert at the Forum tonight," Bobbi said. "I thought we'd go to that."
"Oh. Um. That sounds nice."
"You don't like Hëd Kräbb?"
"Oh, I've never heard of them, actually," Fluttershy said. "It should be interesting."
Bobbi grinned. "Great. Pick you up at seven?"
Fluttershy nodded. "I'll be waiting for you at Rarity's."
"Got it. Later!"
* * * * *
Apple Bloom had worked on various things around the farm until suppertime. When the family gathered for supper, Big Macintosh asked, "Why th' sudden fixin' spree, li'l Bloom? Ah mean, not that Ah ain't grateful, you're doin' a heck of a good job, but it ain't like you t' just up an' take on chores by yourself."
The filly shrugged. "Ah dunno. After school, Ah dropped by th' library on th' way home, an' had a run-in with a collapsin' book counter. Wasn't mah fault!" she added hastily. "Twilight didn't know th' counter was about t' fall apart, an' Spike warned me too late. Anyway, Ah stuck around t' fix it up like new. Then when Ah got home, y'all weren't here, an' Granny Smith was nappin', an' Ah didn't really have anythin' Ah particularly wanted t' do, so Ah just started wanderin' around, an' Ah noticed a lotta things that need fixin' or replacin'. So Ah just got t' work." She sighed. "There's still so much t' do, too, but Ah can't do no more today. Especially not that busted drainpipe."
"Busted drainpipe?" Big Macintosh asked, confused.
"By th' back door," Apple Bloom said. "It's fixin' t' come apart next good rain."
Big Macintosh blinked, then excused himself from the table. He went out into the kitchen; the family heard him open the back door. A moment later he walked back in, eyes wide. "Well Ah'll be sheep-dipped," he said. "Ah didn't even know that pipe was like that."
"Ah noticed it this afternoon," Apple Bloom said. "But Ah ain't got what Ah need t' fix it on hand, so Ah'm gonna hafta go t' th' hardware store tomorrow. An' that got me thinkin', Ah really oughtta put gutters on th' clubhouse, too. Ah might see about that while Ah'm at it." After she finished eating, she excused herself, stretching and yawning. "Ah'm gonna take a bath an' turn in early," she said. "Ah'm plumb tuckered out, an' Ah gotta get up early tomorrow t' work on th' stuff Ah didn't get at today."
As the little filly trotted upstairs, her siblings blinked after her. "That...that ain't normal, is it?" Applejack asked.
"Nnnnope," Big Macintosh said.
Granny Smith grinned. "Well, it's about time," she said.
"Huh? Whaddya mean, Granny?"
The old pony fixed her ersatz granddaughter with an enigmatic smile. "You'll see..."
* * * * *
"Hëd Kräbb?" Rarity asked.
"That's what he said," Fluttershy said.
"That's an unusual name for a band," Rarity replied. "I wonder..." She pulled out her laptop and keyed in a search. A few minutes later, loud, wild hard rock music was pouring out of the laptop's speakers. "Gah," Rarity said, pulling a face.
"Oh, they're a rock band?" Fluttershy asked. "That's nice. I like rock and roll."
"You do?" Rarity asked.
"Why, yes," Fluttershy said. "Anyway, do you mind helping me with my date outfit for tonight?"
"Think nothing of it," Rarity replied. She frowned, then poked around at some of the search results. "What does one wear to a rock concert?"
By six-thirty, Fluttershy was wearing a faded knee-length split denim skirt, knee-high black leather boots, a long-sleeved black sweater, and a denim jacket with her cutie mark embroidered on it in black and dark silver. Additionally, three thin black streaks had been dyed into her hair.
Rarity looked her over, frowning. "Well...it lacks style, but...it's what rock and roll fans are wearing...bleah."
"Oh, I like it," Fluttershy said, examining herself in the mirror. "It's so...different!" She smiled at Rarity. "Thank you."
"Of course, darling," Rarity replied.
The bell over the door jingled. "Rarity?" Twilight's voice called.
"Back here, Twilight dear!" Rarity called back.
"Sorry to disturb you so late, but I wanted to talk to you about WHAT THE HAY?!" Twilight stood stock-still, staring at Fluttershy, eyes wide. "F-Fluttershy?!" she asked.
Fluttershy ran a hand through her streaked hair and smiled. "Hello," she said. "Do you like it?"
"Do I..." Twilight blinked. "It's...um...wow."
"I'm going to a rock concert tonight," Fluttershy explained. "I wanted to fit in."
"Oh," Twilight said. "Well...yes, I'm pretty sure you'll fit in just fine." She smiled. "Have a good time, okay?"
As Fluttershy left, Twilight shook her head. "She's losing it, isn't she?"
Rarity sighed. "I wouldn't say she's losing it," Rarity said. "It's more like she's trying to find it. But if you ask me, she's already found it, and needs to put it back." She smiled. "But she's our friend, so we should support her. Now, what can I do for you, Twilight?"
"Well, I'm going to need a special performing outfit for my duel with Trixie..."
* * * * *
Long after the moon had risen, long after Granny and Big Macintosh and Applejack had gone to sleep, the littlest Apple lay awake in her bed, tossing and turning restlessly.
*Hope Ah can get everythin' Ah need tomorrow, Ah wanna get them drainpipes an' gutters done pronto, afore it rains again...still gotta swap out all th' chickenwire that's rusted...gotta fix that wobbly bit on th' clubhouse railin' too, afore Scootaloo leans on it again an' falls...Ah hate draggin' heavy stuff up an' down t' th' clubhouse...maybe if Ah put in some kinda pully lift...hey, maybe Ah could design a pully chair fer Granny, help her get up an' down steps better...*
Apple Bloom drifted off to sleep, mind awhirl with images of the things she needed to fix, and the things she hadn't built yet.
In the silence, with nopony around to witness it, the little filly's room was suddenly lit by a brilliant flash that originated beneath her blankets. It was gone as quickly as it came, and Apple Bloom slept on, completely unaware that something momentous had just taken place...
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and My Little Pony: Equestria Girls are copyrighted intellectual property of Hasbro. This intellectual property is used without permission with no intent to profit from said use. Other referenced properties are also used without permission, with no intent to profit from said use. The unique content contained on this page is the property of Mythril Moth, and redistribution of this content without express permission is strongly discouraged.
